Advocates Ask Province To Drop IQ Cut-off Appeal The Ministry of Child and Family Services, which oversees such services, is appealing that decision. The ministry has adopted a policy that says people with I.Q. scores above 70 will lose services once they turn 19. But critics -- including some community service providers, social workers, parents, and family members -- call the ministry's policy discriminatory and in violation of its own rules. They say that many factors should be taken into account to decide whether a person needs services, particularly for people who have disabilities, such as autism or fetal alcohol syndrome. According to Wednesday's Goldstream News Gazette, Maureen Karagianis, a Member of the B.C. Legislative Assembly, said she is worried the government's policy will leave many people with developmental disabilities at risk of homelessness, criminal activity, and victimization. "You realize that the IQ is in no way indicative of their capabilities to look after themselves," she said. "For the government to arbitrarily decide that anyone with an IQ of over 70 is now qualified for independent living is extremely cruel and shows how little they care for the most vulnerable individuals." Related: --- Reproduced here under special arrangement
with Inclusion Daily Express international disability rights news service. |
Search This Site and
All State of Minnesota Government Web Sites
All State of Minnesota Government Web Sites